Listening Skills: Active Listening and Types of Non-Listening PDF

Listening is an active process: -Mindful -Hearing/Receiving -Selecting/Attending -Organizing -Interpreting (dual perspective) -Responding (paraphrasing, questions, minimal encouragers/back-channel cues) -Remembering Obstacles to Effective Listening External- message overload, message complexity, no...

Listening is an active process: -Mindful -Hearing/Receiving -Selecting/Attending -Organizing -Interpreting (dual perspective) -Responding (paraphrasing, questions, minimal encouragers/back-channel cues) -Remembering Obstacles to Effective Listening External- message overload, message complexity, noise Internal- preoccupation, prejudgment, emotionally- loaded language, lack of effort, failure to adapt listening styles Types of Nonlistening -monopolizing: focusing attention on ourselves -pseudolistening: pretending to listen -selective listening: focusing only on certain parts of a message- rejecting other parts -defensive listening- perceiving attacks/hostility when there is none -ambushing: listening carefully for the purpose of attacking the other -literal listening: tuning in only to the content level of meaning Listening to Support Others -Be mindful *Empty your mind of thoughts, ideas, plans, and concerns so that you are open to the other person. *Concentrate on the person with whom you are interacting. *If you find yourself framing responses to the other person, push those aside; they interfere with your concentration on the other person’s words. *If your mind wanders, don’t criticize yourself; that’s distracting. Instead, gently refocus on the person you are with and on what that person is communicating to you.  *Let the other person know you are attending mindfully; give nonverbal responses (nods, facial expressions), ask questions to encourage elaboration, and keep eye contact. *Evaluate how mindfully you listened. Did you understand the other person’s thoughts and feelings? Did you feel focused? What do you remember about what that person said to you? -Be careful of expressing judgments -Understand the other person’s perspective *paraphrasing (summarize what the other person said to show that you understand) *minimal encouragers (nods, questions, “Really?”)—However, be careful not to overuse these. They shouldn’t interrupt. They should prompt, not interfere with, another person’s talking. -Express support (doesn’t mean you have to agree with the other person—you can show support by acknowledging their willingness to share or that you understand how much the subject being discussed means to them)